About the High School Huddle

Welcome to the Citizen-Times' constantly-updated blog for Western North Carolina high school sports. Features include breaking news, scores and stats, college recruiting updates and live blogs from some of the marquee games in WNC. Readers are encouraged to comment on posts, but personal attacks on current athletes, coaches and their families will not be tolerated and are subject to edit or removal at the moderator's discretion.

Provided he can stay healthy, Marquel Manning is going to plow his shoulders into a lot of unlucky tacklers in the coming months.

He’s just as comfortable juking them for a big gain.

And as hard as it may be to believe, the 5-foot-8, 202-pound senior still has a few school rushing records left to break in his final football season at Franklin.

“I’m always excited for football. But with this year, I absolutely can’t wait,” Manning said.

“I’ve played with these kids since I started football and I know we’ve got the chance to have a great season and go far (in the 2-AA or 2-A playoffs). I’ve always had confidence in my teammates.”

Manning was an All-WNC tailback and the 2012 Co-Western North Carolina Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year after setting school records for single-season rushing yardage (2,364) and touchdowns (33).

Manning had 11 games with 100 or more yards, which is also the most in Panthers’ history.

He enters this season needing just 484 yards to become the school’s all-time record holder. The career mark currently belongs to Alex Croteau (3,419 yards), who graduated in 2006.

How can the news get any worse for Franklin’s future opponents?

Manning is one of 10 returning offensive starters for the WNCAC’s preseason favorite team and will run behind a former All-WNCAC selection at fullback, rising junior Jeremiah Young, as well as a veteran line.

Daniel Marr, Zach Graham, Daniel Medlock, Landry Millsaps and Quinton Pattillo were all starting blockers at some point for Manning in 2012.

At the moment, Medlock has been sidelined by a knee injury, which means that Cameron Roper and Caleb Scott will be the mix to clear a path for Manning, Panthers coach Josh Brooks said. Billy Higdon will rotate in for Young at fullback.

Brooks said that Franklin game films are not known for their entertainment value and he likes it that way.

“I’m sure we’re boring to watch,” Brooks said.

“It’s gotta be one of those things where coaches look at the film and say, it can’t be too hard to stop these guys when they only run about six plays. But I’ll say this, my hat is off to our staff and our kids who have bought into our philosophy. Our personnel lends itself to power football and limiting the snaps the other team gets. It’s worked in the past and I hope this year is no different.”

Manning said that he has essentially given up all other sports at Franklin since his breakout year in 2012.

WNCAC football coaches have deemed him the 2-A/3-A league’s preseason player of the year and Manning is the area’s top returning rusher.

Along with Reynolds (4-A to 3-A), Franklin (3-A to 2-A) is one of only two WNC schools which are dropping down to a lower classification in the latest NCHSAA realignment.

“I can’t really speak for the rest of our team, but I know for me, I love the hype and the sense of pressure,” Manning said.

“On paper, I know we’re supposed to be good. Now it’s up to us to go out and prove it.”

Manning and the Panthers are scheduled to open their season Aug. 30 at home against three-time defending NCHSAA 1-A champion Murphy.